The conflict between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) intensified dramatically on Saturday, as the union ordered seven of its major branches to immediately halt all crude oil and gas supplies to the billion facility.
The drastic action is a direct response to the refinery management’s alleged “illegitimate disengagement” of union members who exercised their right to join PENGASSAN.
Allegations of Retaliation and Strike Order
In a directive issued on September 26 and signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery’s management of a sustained campaign against unionization. The union alleged that the management not only sacked members but also withdrew staff buses and barred local Nigerian workers from entering the facility while allowing expatriates access.
The order instructs branch chairmen in major upstream and midstream companies—including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, Renaissance, and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC)—to immediately implement the following:
- Shut all crude oil supply valves to the refinery.
- Cut off gas supply effectively immediately.
- Halt loading operations for all vessels headed to the refinery.
The directive concluded with a strong message of solidarity: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”
Dangote Refinery Denies Mass Sacking
The management of the Dangote Refinery has quickly pushed back against the union’s claims, denying any allegations of mass sackings in a statement released on Friday.
The company insists that only a small number of workers were affected as part of a necessary restructuring exercise. It claimed this exercise was aimed at preventing sabotage that posed risks to operations and human lives. The management emphasized that over 3,000 Nigerians remain in its employment and dismissed the union’s allegations as “misinformation and propaganda.”
Context: Fuel Sales Suspension
This severe escalation comes just days after the Dangote Refinery announced it would suspend petrol sales in Naira from September 28, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-Naira allocations. The new supply blockade by PENGASSAN now poses a much more critical and immediate threat to the refinery’s ability to operate and could have wide-ranging implications for Nigeria’s domestic fuel supply chain.
Source: Punch
